Mouth-guard for children and infants.



E. S. HARLLEE.

Mouw GUARD Foa CHILDREN AND INFANs.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 30. i918.

1,297,842. Patented Mar. 18,1919` W' IIIIII .Il IIIIIIIIIDI" 17 gwuefntoz SH01/net;

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ELLA s.r HARLLEE, or' TAMPA, FLORIDA.

MOUTH-G-URD FOR CHILDREN AN D INFANTS.

Specication of Letters `Patent.

Patented Mar. 18,1919.

iApplicationLled April 30, 1918. Serial No. 231,715.

f To all whom t mag/concern.

Be it known that I, ELLA S. HARLLEE, a citizen of the United Statesl of America, residing at Tampa, in the county of Hillsborough `and State of Florida, have invented new and useful Improvements in Mouth- Guards for Chil-dren and Infants, of which the following is a specification.

This invention comprehends general-ly improvements in that class of inventions known as vappareil and more particularly has reference -to a 'mouth guard for children and infants.

It is the primary aim and object of the present invention to provide a device of the above character,l designed for application on the head o'f a child or infant so as to inclose the noseand themo-uth and prevent the child or infant from sucking'its thumbs or lingers which has an injurious effect on its syste-m in generala More particularly theV present invention contemplates theprovision of a device of the above character embodying a frame designed to conform to the lo-wer portion of the face of the child so that when held in position the nose and mouth will be covered and preventv the child. fromv placing injurious objects or substances into its mouth while the construction of the frame is such that it in no way interferes with the childs breathing.

vAs a further improvement this .invention consists in 'the provision of improved means for removably attachingfthe frame in the proper position on the lower portion of the face of thefchild;

It is a more specific object of this inven-y 1 tion to provide 'improved covering means for the frame so yas to prevent the action of the metal on the childs face.

Among the other `aims and objects of this invention may be recited the provision of a device of the character described with a view to compactness, and in which the number of parts are few, the construction simple,

the cost of production low and the efficiency high.

Other improvements and novel details in the construction and arrangement of the various parts `of the apparatus will be brought out more in detail in the description to follow, which for a clear understanding of the invention should be considered in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, and wherein is disclosed for the purpose of illustration a convenient. and satisfactory embodiment of the invention. It is to be noted in this connection -that minor changes in the constructiony and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the principle of operation of the various parts.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation showing the devi-ce attached; Fig. 2 is a lfront elevation showing' the same; Fig. 3 is a perspective detail.

Similar characters of reference are employed in all the above described views, to indicate corresponding parts.

Referring now, more particularly, tothe accompanying drawings7 there is provided an improved guard which in the present. instance embodies a frame indicated in its entirety vby the numeral l and formed from a piece of flexible wire shaped to conform tol the lower portion of the falce. The frame itself embodies an upper cheek engaging portion 2 bent intermediate its ends to form a nose 4bridge 3 the ends of the cheek engaging portion 2 terminating in proximity to the ears when the device is applied as indicated and are joined with `arcuate lower jaw engaging portions 4. The frame-serves as a support for the perforated body 5 which is desirably formed of wire gauze and inclosesl the mouth andnose of the child to prevent the latter from sucking its thumb, for instance, or from placing injurious substances in its mouth. A cloth binding orl covering 6v is arranged about the frame to prevent the action of the met-a1 on the childs face. nose pad 7 is secured to the inner portion of the nose bridge and to the inner surface of the adjacent portion of the gauze body 5 while cheek pads 8 are secured to the inner surfaces of the body and the frame at the juncture of the cheek engaging portion and the ends of the jaw engaging portion, as indioated.

In removably attaching and retaining Ithe frame in Iposition on the head of the child or infant a strap 9 formed desirably of leather has its respective ends connected to the cheek engaging portion at points midway the nose bridge and the jaw engaging portion as indicated by the numeral 10, the

Aintermediate portion of the strap 9 bein head of the child. A iexible band 11 is now employed and is desirably formed of leather, 'being secured to the intermediate portion of the strap 9 and designed for engagement with the back of the head of the child behind the ears, In finally securing the device in position a. relatively short strap 12 is employed and has its inner end connected as at 13 to one of the junctures of the jaw engaging yportions and the cheek engaging portion while a buckle 1% is carried on the outer end of the strap 12. An other strap 15 has its inner ends connected as at 1G to the other juncture of the jaw engaging portion and the cheek engaging portion of the frame and its intermediate portion secured as at 17 to the flexible band 11 at a point approximately diametrically opposite the point of connection 'between the strap 9 and the band 11. The outer end of the strap 15 is formed with a series of openings 18 in any one of which the buckle le is engaged. By this arrangement of the straps it is apparent that the device may be readily and quickly removably attached and retained in position while owing to the iexibility of the straps and the band they may `be readily applied since they will conform to the contour of the head.

It is belieed that in View of the foregoing description, a further detailed description of the operation of the invention is entirely unnecessary. Likewise it is believed that the advantages of the invention will be readily apparent.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently widely diderent embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the `scope thereof it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limited sense.

heerste Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is 1. A device of the character described, including a frame formed from asingle piece of wire embodying a cheek engaging portion, a nose bridge formed intermediate the ends of the cheek engaging portion, an arenate jaw engaging portion having its respective ends joined with the termina-ls of the cheek engaging portion, a wire gauze body carried by the frame and adapted to surround the mouth andv nose of the wearer, a binding covering the cheek engaging and the j aw engaging :portions and the nose bridge of the frame for preventing the action of the metal wire on the face of the .vearer, a protecting -pad secured to the inner surface of the nose bridge and the adjacent portion of the cheek engaging portion, cheek pads secured to the inner surface ot the body at the juncture of the cheek and jaw engaging portions with the frame, and means for removably attaching and retaining the frame in position.

2. A device of "the character described consisting of a wire gauze carrying frame shaped to conform to the lower portions of the face, a head engaging strap connected at its terminals to the frame, a head engaging band carried with the strap, other straps secured to the respective ends of the frame, a buckle on one of the last mentioned straps, the other of the last mentioned straps being connected with the band at a point opposite the point of connection of the band with the head engaging strap and being also provided with openings any one of which is designed to receive the buckle for cooperating with the band in retaining and preventing movement of the frame.

ln testimony whereof l aix my signature.

ELLA S. HARLLEE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained :for ve cents each, by addressing' the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. 

